Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-06-28

c0Fding to the laws OF China until he has
confessed his crime). canquls. . species
Of collar which for largeness and uncom-
fortableness even outstrip the Washers,
and which are rectangular planes of wood
with neck and hand holes. The gloomy,
small dep0sitory-room OF these torture.
implements we thought to be a fair repre-
sentation of what q European medieval
chamber of .justice" has been.
We were next taken in our sedan chairs
through an over crowded. busy part of the
city to the execution ground, passing on
our way the Roman Catholic Cathedral.
whose gigantic spires pierce the clouds.
The execution ground we found to be q
small enclosed rectangular space, about
15x50 yards, entered by q gate. On the
right on entering ran a row of small,
squalid houses. the inhabitation of potters,
whose rough, unbaked work lay all about
on the ground, drying in the sun. but we
were informed that it was cleared away
whenever an execution was about to take
place. Facing the potters' houses was a
high wall, at whose base and leaning
against it we're some large crooks, all of
which had their mouths earthed over ex-
cept one. Here our guide INTRODUCED us to
three poorly-dressed Cinnamon. whom
we noticed gambling at fan tan table
near the the gate on our arrival. One. q
big. brutish-looking fellow with a villain
GUS cast in one of his eyes, was the head
executioner, and the other two, who were
smallish men, were his assistants. Through
our guide we told the head executioner
that we wished to see the instruments of
his calling, and thereupon he produced a
short. very heavy two handed sword and
a long knife. The following conversation
was carried on between US and this "boss'
through the medium of our guide:
"How do you use this sword? Where is
the block?"
1--WE don't use block. What we do
is to make the prisoners kneel down in
two rows facing one another, and bend.
ing their heads down. Then / take the
sword, and chop. chop. one on each side
and the heads fall off; so on, till they're
all done, as you'd switch the tops off
green weeds with your walking. stick"
but you don't always chop head off
with one blowp"
Always
"What is the knife for?"
''For the lingering, or death by any
cuts. We tie the culprit who is con-
demned to this death to that cross there
(pointing to two rough, Embarked sticks
roughly crossed) and we begin by cutting
off the eyelids, ears, nose, and so on, end
ing by sticking the knife into the heart
The cuts vary in number from 3 to 12O,
according to the Nervousness of the cul-
prit's crimes"
"What class of criminals are con-
demned to the ling che?''
'Parricides, matricides, and women
who have killed and mutilated their
husbands form majority"
'Do the executions interfere with your
appetite and sleep?"
The executioners grinned sardonicallv
at this question. so we asked:
"How many persons have you executed
in day ?''
81 have chopped twenty heads off N.Y.
self in two minutes. See that dark-looking
place on the ground over there; that's
caused by the blood of the last batch we
had"
''What is done with the bodies ?"
1.-The friends take them away. but we
keep the heads in the crooks over by the
wall there, and when we have large
number which are no longer recognizable
we bury them. Would you like to see
some of the headsp'
We declined, and one of my companions
began to grow pale and complain of not
feeling we'll. SO we ordered the guide to
lead US away.
Gentlemen, give twenty cents each,
cumshaw. to the executioners," said the
guide. which we gladly did to escape
from the staring of the "boss" butcher
swivel eye; and so ended our interview
with these High Executioners of the Great
Chinese Empire.